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Root Work

"Root work" is a derivative of eighteenth and nineteenth century voodoo". The special meaning of "roots" is uncertain. "It does not seem to be related to the mandrake root, perhaps it has to do with the preparation of potions from roots" . "The rootwork system combines a belief in the magical causation of illness with cures by sorcery and an empiric tradition stressing the natural causation of illness with cures by herbs and medicines". "Adherents of "rootwork" are medically pluralistic and seek help from a variety of practitioners when faced with illness" . "Adherents enter the clinical setting for the treatment of natural illnesses and present symptoms in accordance with traditional beliefs about the blood and "folk" categories of disease" . "Adherents may also consult magical practitioners, known as "root doctors", for treatment of a variety of psychosocial problems" .

Root Work Defined

Root work is mainly a rural Southern practice. The Northern migration of Negroes has brought it to every Northern industrial center. In the South some of the white rural population also practice root work. The central belief is that illness or death may come to someone through a hex. Root workers or root doctors who assist in putting a hex on someone are equally proficient at removing such a hex. The hex is usually administered through powders placed in food or drink. In addition, one may have a root worker "dress" his hand so that merely touching the victim will bring on the hex. It is likely that a hex can also be administered at a distance by acting on the victim's clothing, a piece of his hair, or some other personal belonging or even image. The evil eye might also be invoked. The most common belief, however, is that something has been done to the victim's food or drink.

Voodoo, Root Work, and Medicine DAVID C. TINLING, M.D. http://www.psychosomaticmedicine.org/cgi/reprint/29/5/483.pdf

Most often people of the south, most often African Americans and some white beleive in one person putting a "hex" or curse on another by placing something in one's food, drink or by using one's hair, or article of clothing.

Root Work Termology

In order to understand just what rootwork entails, we first need to understand the tremology of this pharase. Rootwork first involves a "worker": One who practices a form of southern Sorcery." This could be a person who gathers all necessary items in order to put a "hex" or "curse" on someone." . The different items includes but are not limited to is hair, clipped off fingernails, dead skin, dolls, red pepper, candles, pictures, etc. Many of these items can be used alone, or with a mixture of several items. Root work has a long history in the African American community. The root worker also charges several dollars to cast a spell on someone. Rootwork is also known as "Hoodoo" in the southern part of the United States. "The word Hoodoo is probably derived from the word juju, an African word meaning "magic," or from Voodoo, a corrupted version of the Fon word Vodun, meaning "spirit" or "god." But unlike Vodun, Lukumi, Candomble, Shango, Batque, etc., Rootwork is not a religion. It has no pantheon or priesthood. It refers only to a set of healing and spell practices, and the practitioner can be whatever religion they wish. The theology behind the spells has been lost, thus there are no formal initiations to become a Rootworker. However, a good practitioner is traditionally referred to as Doctor, Mother, Uncle, or Aunt out of respect for their vast problem-solving knowledge." . The next form of rootwork has the name of "hoodo", which means the same thing,: "1) Possible corruption of the term Voodoo (Vodu, Vudu, Voudou, etc.); 2) A Sorcerous practice whose origins has roots in the Congo; 3) A folk practice using folklore, charms, and varying degrees of pseudo-spiritual goods such as sold by mail order curio houses from the early 20th century; 4) A practice that borrows elements from Necromancy, Spiritualism, Root-working, Christianity and Native American Shamanism, among other sources" . "Sometimes the term "voodoo" is used. "1) A Fon magico-religious practice rooted in Haiti and the surrounding Caribbean isles" . 2) A magico-religion coupled with Root-Conjure work as practiced in New Orleans during the mid to late 19th century" . Next is the term of "root-conjure": "1) A practice of Neo-African Sorcery that utilizes the roots of various flora and fauna native to the practitioner's home. 2) A Worker who engages in the art and practice of evoking Spirits for practical ends. 3) A Worker who uses the Christian Bible as a source of Mystical folklore and Magical instruction which is primarily gleaned from the Psalms and the vrious books of the Prophets" . And last is the "obeah": "A tradition of Caribbean Witchcraft that has origins among the Ashanti tribes of Africa". "These Africans were deposited as slaves in Trinidad and Jamaica durign the slave trade days" . . Other terms for a professional hoodoo practitioner are "root doctor," "root worker," "two-headed doctor," "two-head woman," and "two-head man." The first two refer to rootwork - the use of herbs for medical and magical purposes; the latter three are African survivals, referring to the worker's contact with spirits who reside in the cunjure doctor's head and may guide him or her.

Symptoms of unnatural Illnesses

Unnatural illnesses are beleived to be subject if an individual becomes suddenly and unusally ill. These illness include but are not limited to: "sensation or burning pain felt first in the exterminites and spreading slowly all over the body" . The pain is often accompanied by itching and a rash. The pain is beleived to be caused from the posion of the eggs of animals mixed with a powder and placed in the victims food. The animals in which the poision comes from are those with venomous poision such as spiders and rattlesnakes. It is beleived that "after the poision is eaten, the animal begins to grow under the victims skin causing great discomfort". Other symptoms include a severe gastrointestinal complaints which includes the unusual onset of nausea and vomiting. There is also a beleives symptom of an unexplained symptom of hysterical paralysis known as "fading" "which begins with a numbness in the legs and back that spreads over the body until the victim is unable to walk, it is also known as the cause of unexplained impotence in men". There is also the symptom of unnatural mind problems labeled as "magical possessions'', including symptoms such as "diverse fits, disorientation, withdrawal, violent attacks on self and others, halluciations, and delusions" . Some of these symptoms are inclusive of any normal mental illness and it is difficult for a regular doctor to distinguish root work from a natural illness. Many of these symptoms go untreated because the victim is ashamed for anyone to know that he or she is a victim of rootwork.

Healing Practices

Some modern conjure workers who've perused this work have said that the information seemed as if it came from very unreliable sources. For instance, medical diagnosis is not considered valid when given by a non medical source as it is when given by a trained, medical source such as a practitioner. Thus the same for Rootwork-Conjure pracititoners and their lure. It's always been difficult for outsiders to come in and dig into the lure of oral traditions and gain any sort of truth without embellishments or outright lies given them; normal traditional doctors will not understand how to cure these ailments. . "Rootworkers, prior to the great migration of blacks to urban cities, were equally feared and respected, and usually lived away from the "regular folks" and made a profitable business off people who would sneak to see them under the cloak of darkness for help in resolving their issues." . Most people lived by the saying "You want salvation, go to church, "You want something done, go to the Rootworker." . Rootwork also served a practical purpose in the black community. Many Africans had experience working with herbs in their homeland and transmitted their botanical knowledge to their children. This information was passed on orally and was used to cure the sick and ailing. "The most common afflictions Rootworkers treated were smallpox and digestive disorders, by boiling down the roots of certain herbs like the spikenard (hyptis suaveolens) or the sensitive plant (mimosa pudica) and making a tonic for their clients to drink." . All blacks in the South had to know basic healing techniques because traditional health care was too expensive for slaves to afford. In fact, many whites couldn't afford a traditional doctor either, and would often turn to their slaves' botanical knowledge for cures.

Native Americans and Rootwork

"African slaves would often seek refuge among Native Americans because they had a similar worldview and they were willing to teach them how to survive in the New World. Although Africans were knowledgeable about African plants and their uses, they had no idea what to do with the herbs found in this strange land. Native Americans taught them the properties of local herbs and roots.".

Rootwork Today

When African Americans migrated north, many left rootwork behind. They were seeking better opportunities and a more sophisticated way of living, and rootwork was considered "backward" or "country" and was frowned upon. As standard medical care became more available, fewer people had need for the rootworkers, however; many still consulted them to perform divination or spell work. Today, because of miseducation and the media's negative portrayal of any spiritual system based in Africa, most people avoid rootwork. Everything that is African is feared, ignored, and rejected because of a deep and painful history of Africa as a major contributor to world culture. Even with the vast knowledge accumulated in the last century, when most people think of African spirituality and its practices in the New World, the mind usually conjures up images of spooky witchdoctors, bloody cannibalistic rituals, and evil curses. The media still transmits this propaganda through cartoons and movies, especially in the horror genre such as "The Serpent and the Rainbow", "Child's Play", "Voodoo Dawn", and "Tales from the Crypt."

References

1. Matthews, Holly F. (1987). Rootwork: Description of an Ethnomedical System in the American South. Accessed April 10, 2011 from Southern Medical Journal.[22]

2. McQuillar, Tatannah Lee. Rootworkers. Accessed April 10, 2011 from DailyOm. [23]

3. RootWork-Conjure Sorcery (no date) Accessed April 10,2011 from Molochsorcery. [24]

4. Schanche, Don Jr. (2004). Ancient Beliefs Still Alive in Georgia. Accessed April 10, 2011 from Southern-Spirits. [25].

5. Tinling, David C. MD. Voodoo, Root Work, and Medicine. Accessed March 11, 2011 from Psychosomatic Medicine.[26]

6. Yronwode, Catherine (1995-2003). HooDoo African American Magic. Accessed April 10, 2011 from Lucky Mojo Curio Co. [27]